mcduck

Two things...

Can someone who bought and installed the Gruppe-S replica Nismo spoiler tell me how they like it? I'm wondering about the quality, fit, and overall look when you got it installed? Also, how hard of an install was it?

I've seen how bad the Bavaria spoiler is first hand and if Gruppe-S replica is even 1/2 that bad, I'd rather spend the extra $$$'s on the real deal Nismo wing. Thoughts?

Also, does anyone have the full Nismo kit available now? I've heard from 3 different dealers that they do not have one in stock now and it could be several months before they have more. Anyone know where I could get one the first week of June?

Thanks!

mysteriumZ

mcduck, i just got the gruppe-s wing installed last weekend, i paid 100 bucks at my body shop to paint and install, so i can't answer the question about the installation. The fit of the my wing isn't that good either, but i'm ok with it (i'm not a picky person). there is a very small gap between the trunck and the bottom of the wing. the kcaero/bavaria wing has it too, Last weekend i compared my wing with the bavaria wing, its not that much different. I'm not saying the wing is bad, its just that you maybe unhappy with it if you are picky about the fit. i have not seen the real nismo wing, so i don't know how that will fit, but i have heard from some people that the real nismo also have some gap here and there. i also saw a carbon fiber version of the nismo wing over the weekend, the fit is really good, no gaps. check out the thread in the general forum for my thread ZCAR in NY.

Another thing, when i got my wing, my body shop painted it with out much prep, so at first it came out bad. with alot of bumps and holes on the wing, so i had them redo the wing. now its much better. Anyhow, the bodyshop people didn't like the quality of the wing, but i'm pretty happy with the wing right now.

350zSpeedRacer

Andy, if you've got the money, buy the real thing. I got VERY lucky with my Bavaria spoiler and if I had it to do over again, I certainly would not have risked it. No offense to ANY shops here, but a replica is never going to be as good as the real thing.

I've seen SkiDDaZLe's up close and mine definitely could use some improvement compared to his.

mcduck

Looks like you had a great run!

I like the fit of the Carbon Fiber wing, but don't like the color contrast. How close to this fit is the gruppe-S replica?

MysteriumZ, can you take a close up pic of yours showing the gap?

Also, where did themyst get his full Nismo replica kit? From the pics it look pretty good.

mcduck

I presume by your statement that his is a real Nismo kit.

My only problem is that I'm having trouble finding someone who has the Nismo kit in stock. I probably can get just the rear spoiler, but if I want the whole kit, I'm going to have to wait a few months.

mysteriumZ

yeah i'll take some pics tonight. themyst got his at kc aero, prepainted. the paint job is great, the fit is as usual. The front bumper is little short, the sides skirts leave little gap on the inside, the wing fits ok like mine. I really liked his kit, looks very hot. unless you know where to look, you can't tell its a replica.
after all i think it really comes down to how picky you are, the gaps are not really noticible, you have to look really careful to see them.

Moodie

iTrader: (3)

After all the reviews, I've decided to save up a little longer to get the real deal. The money I save getting a replica may end up costing more if I had to mod. the part to fit. Also, the worries, headaches, and hassles are not worth it. Just my $0.02!!

mcduck

Moodie... I'm inclined to agree with you. For me, it's not a matter of being able to afford the Nismo kit... it's more a matter of whether it is worth the extra money between it and the replica kit. Knowing how I am, I probably won't be happy unless I get the real kit and everything looks like it came that way from Nissan's factory.

My big dilemma now is going to be finding someplace to buy the Nismo kit....

rouxeny

Alright, I took a bunch of pics at the meet to illustrate the various gaps on the two kits. I'll post a few of them here.

First off, the fit on the spoiler of the CF kit was very good. The rear side skirts weren't so good, but that's something that happens with the Nismo also, supposedly. The side sills looked pretty good, but I didn't pay that much attention to them.

Here's mysteriumZ's Gruppe-S wing.
You can see there is a small gap between the wing and the trunk.

rouxeny

Here's the front of the wing, there is a little gap there also.

Overall, the fit of the wing was pretty good. Definitely better than kcaero. If I hadn't seen the fit of the CF kit, I would have been very satisfied.

rouxeny

Here's the kcaero wing. There is a similar gap in the front and back of the wing.

rouxeny

My biggest problem was with the lateral flaps. On the CF kit, they essentially meet the trunk and are held in place with some 2 sided tape. This is supposedly the same solution as the Nismo kit. The gruppe-S kit is also about the same.

However, on the kcaero, the gaps are very wide, approaching 1 cm in some areas.

rouxeny

There were also gaps on the kcaero front bumper and side skirts. The bumper just didn't extend back enough, and as themyst described earlier, the side skirts aren't long enough.

Here's the bumper gap.

Moodie

iTrader: (3)

Hey MCduck,

Try Gruppe-S for the real Nismo spoiler. Last I checked, they still have a couple in stock! I am sort of a perfectionist when it comes to upgrades, either I get the best that I can afford or not at all! That's just me!!

Oh, call Mike at Gruppe-S and tell him Moodie sent you!!

rouxeny

Here's a pic of the side skirts on the CF kit. They looked to be pretty good.

Wish they made a non-CF kit. It'd sell well.

rouxeny

Now, I'm not that familiar with body kits. I've never had one on a car before. I think that my expectations may be too high. Themyst's redline and mysteriumZ's CS were both very good looking cars. The Nismo kit on a redline is really spectacular. From normal viewing distance, you can't tell any of the things that I pointed out. It's just when **** people like me get down on their knees and take a close look.

If you're just looking for you car to be a little different, either replica kit would probably be fine. If you're expecting that these add on panels fit with the same precision as the original body panels (which isn't that good in some cases), then you probably should get Nismo. Obviously, if money is no issue, Nismo it is. If you're strapped for cash and willing to accept some small gaps, get the replica. They're great deals for the money.

My decision, after seeing both Gruppe-S and kcaero, I think the Gruppe-S wing fits better. I luckily found a Nismo wing for a small discount, that's what I'm getting.

mysteriumZ

great pics andrew, save me from the work, hehe. now i want to get the side skirts as well from kc aero on after i saw themyst's car. i probably go with a veilside front lip or the illusion front lip.
are you going to get the sideskirt as well?

rouxeny

Um, I hope so, but not for sometime.


My next big purchase is going to be a Canon 10D hopefully.

mcduck

Thanks for the pics Rouxeny!

After seeing those, I think if I were only going to buy the spoiler, i could be satisfied with the Gruppe-S replica.

However, since I am considering the full Nismo kit now, I'll probably just do it right.

mysteriumZ

hey mcduck i took some pics today, hope it'll help in your decision of buying the wing alone or the full kit.